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The Arvo Pärt Society (APS) was established in 2017 to offer guidance and provide financial support for the activities of the Arvo Pärt Centre. It aims to create an extended, exclusive network of supporters who wish to contribute to the safeguarding of Arvo Pärt’s heritage and the message of his music, as well as supporting the wider activities of the Center in the continuation of culture and the arts.
“An ever-growing group of loyal supporters have been accompanying us already from the start of our family initiative back in 2007, well before the founding of the Arvo Pärt Centre foundation was founded three years later. Since then, the journey has had a number of milestones – the most significant of which being the inauguration of the new Arvo Pärt Centre building in 2018.
Today, I look at our group of friends, well-wishers and patrons, who are all part of the Arvo Pärt Society like an extended family of the Arvo Pärt Centre.
I am looking forward to our future meetings both at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia, as well as at selected concerts and festivals around the globe.“
Michael Pärt, Chairman of the Council
The members of the society meet at events and concerts both at the Arvo Pärt Centre and elsewhere in the world. Prior APS meet-ups have happened at the following concerts:
- The opening concert of Muziekgebouw Concert Hall’s Pärt Festival 2022 (2022)
- “Swansong. Hamburger Fassung” premiere at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (2021)
- “O Holy Father Nicolas” premiere at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2021)
- Inauguration of The Shed in New York 2019
- Adam’s Passion (directed by Robert Wilson) at the Konzerthaus Berlin (2018)
- Following the award ceremony at the Vatican where Arvo Pärt was presented with the Ratzinger Prize (2018)
- Foundation Louis Vuitton Paris (2017)
- Opening of the season at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (2017)
- Walt Disney Hall: Pärt & Mozart festival (2015)
In addition to the completion of the centre’s building, donors have also supported several other projects. For example, with the help of our donors, a permanent exhibition ““When you seek from almost nothing” was installed, the chapel of our centre was completed, we have been able to purchase a Steinway concert piano and we have published a special photo and essay book “Arvo Pärt Center & Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. The Common Denominator. Ühine nimetaja”. However, with the centre constantly evolving, we aim to do and accomplish even more. Each year, two to three projects are selected for focus and funding.
Read more about this years projects below:
Publishing a Collection of Interviews, Articles, and Essays about Arvo Pärt
We have long wished to make available an in-depth interview with Arvo and Nora Pärt by Italian musicologist Enzo Restagno, which was originally published in Estonian in 2005. In honour of Arvo Pärt’s jubilee, we intend to publish this work in a new publication featuring additional writings by Estonian and international musicians and musicologists.
Recording and Publishing Arvo Pärt’s Musical Greetings
Over the years, Arvo Pärt has composed several short musical greetings for various important individuals. This year, we aim to record all these greetings and publish them in a book that explains the stories behind each one.
Jubliee Season – Arvo Pärt 90
As we prepare for this significant milestone, the centre seeks its first headline sponsor for the anniversary season.
You can join the Arvo Pärt Society starting with a donation of 150€ by filling in the form:
I had never thought about the deeper reasons for my support because initially I just wanted to carry on what my life partner Andres had started. Now, however, I take great joy in seeing how my small monthly contribution generates positivity on a much larger scale to so many people, and for this I am also grateful to you.
Kadi Randvere, APS member since 2020
Arvo Pärt’s music touches me deeply – its simplicity, purity, and clarity. Arvo Pärt reduces everything to what really matters – it sharpens your gaze and allows you to see perfect beauty even in little things. In his music I experience tranquility that is rare in our anxious world. I can get a glimpse of peace that is hard to imagine in our belligerent world. The Bible uses the word ‘shalom’ for inner and outer peace. Arvo Pärt’s music brings me closer to this ‘shalom’. My support to the Arvo Pärt Centre allows me to contribute towards making this valuable and enriching experience available to more people.
Cornelius Berger, regular donor since 2019
The society has three membership levels:
Friend – supports the Arvo Pärt Centre with a yearly donation starting from 150€
As a friend, you can reserve two complimentary tickets to any of the events organised by the Arvo Pärt Centre. You will also receive information about Arvo Pärt-related concerts and events in the world and, if you wish, a personal acknowledgement on our website.
Well-wisher – supports the Arvo Pärt Centre’s educational programmes, genesis-of-the-work sessions, lectures and concerts with a yearly donation starting from 5,000€
As a well-wisher, you get all the benefits of a friend, but also a free guided tour of the centre for you and your friends and an opportunity to visit a concert rehearsal of Arvo Pärt’s music at the centre or elsewhere. After supporting us in two consecutive years, you will become a patron.
Patron – supports a specific project starting from 10,000€
As a patron, you get all the benefits of a friend and well-wisher, but also an exclusive tour in the centre (incl. areas that are closed to regular visitors) and a replica of a manuscript by Arvo Pärt. All patrons will be automatically granted a five-year membership.
Once a year all members of the Arvo Pärt Society can come together for a special musical event. This meeting will take place every year in different locations around the world, allowing members from different countries to participate.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us:
Sandra Perens
Parnerships Manager
sandra@arvopart.ee